


Small Talk

by LNC



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, LadyNoir - Freeform, adrienette - Freeform, it's more humor than emotions but what can you do, like all the good ones are, post oblivio, post reveal pre relationship, surprise! they remember
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-03-26
Packaged: 2019-12-18 03:28:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18241460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LNC/pseuds/LNC
Summary: All she wanted was a cup of coffee.





	Small Talk

**Author's Note:**

> Everyone else was doing it.
> 
> This is more humor and fluff than substance but what can you do? My job is boring and this was written during my downtime. Enjoy whatever this is.

“So how long are we going to ignore that I’m insanely in love with you?”

Marinette choked, her coffee catching in her throat.

She glared through her tears, horrified and coughing, as she looked first at Adrien, then Nino and Alya ordering with the barista, and back.

“ _Now?_ ” She hissed, reaching for his water without asking because, well, apparently it was time for _sharing_ things.

“So you _do_ remember,” He said, somewhat smugly as he passed a napkin over to her.  “I was starting to wonder.”

Marinette wondered at his cool as she wiped at her mouth.  Arms crossed and staring at her like she stared at her lucky charms.  A puzzle to be solved.

And she thought this would be a simple coffee run.

Not that anything about the last three weeks could have been called _simple_.  Not by Marinette’s standards anyways.

Then again, what did you say to your superhero partner after spending an afternoon playing house?

Nothing, if you were Marinette.  Nothing at all.

Because despite what her memories and the Ladyblog and Chat’s quiet but searching glances were telling her, as far as she was concerned, the events of that day were to be locked in a lead box and dropped in the bottom of the Seine.

A topic too heavy to be touched.

It figured Chat would have different plans.  It figured _Adrien_ would be the one to launch the first attack.

It was always the quiet ones you had to watch out for.

“ _Well_ ?” Adrien said, a little sharply as she continued to stare at her crush-turned-idiot partner in disbelief. 

“Well what?” She asked, because, um, _valid_.

He couldn’t honestly think they would have this out _here_.  Not with a soon-to-be caffeine-fueled Ladyblogger metres away.

“ _Well what_ ?” He mimicked in a high falsetto. Oooh she could just smack him.  “What do you think _well_?”

“I think,” Marinette said, face red, teeth gritted. “That you picked a horrible time for this conversation.”

“Because you’ve given me so many opportunities to bring it up before,” He scowled, falling back against the booth with a sigh.

Marinette stamped down her irritation.  He wasn’t _wrong_.  But that didn’t mean she wanted her cowardice thrown in her face.

“Chat.” She glanced over to their friends who were making their way back to the table. “ _Please_.”

“Fine, fine.”  He rolled his eyes before plastering a smile to his face.  He almost looked sincere.

Really, the transformation was remarkable.

“Any Ladynoir updates for us, Alya?”

Remarkably _infuriating_.

She could scarcely afford a swift kick to his shin before Nino slid in beside him.

Alya pouted.  “ _No_.  I still can’t believe they kissed.”

“It was pretty unbelievable,” Adrien said, nodding.

Marinette snorted.

Alya sent her a _look_. “And all it took was Nino and I tag-teaming it.”

“In evil and in health, babe.” Nino said, reaching forward to bump his girlfriend’s fist.  “Too bad Miraculous Ladybug canceled it all out.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me.” She wailed, her cry muffled by her arms as she started to beat her head against the table.

Marinette _refused_ to look at Adrien.  “Careful, Al. You’re starting to sound like Hawkmoth.”

Alya lifted her head and fell back to the booth with a dramatic sigh.

“I’d take their miraculous myself if I thought it would get those two to admit they’re perfect for each other.”

Adrien shrugged. “I don’t know if Chat Noir would put up much of a fight.”

“Pfft, yeah.” She shook her head and reached for her danish.  “Enough fantasies. Tell me something happy.”

“Adrien’s dad almost acknowledged me last week.”

“I thought she said happy, Nino.” Adrien rolled his eyes.

“Fine.  How’s Kitty Section?”

“Neutered.” He grimaced.  “Officer Raincomprix shut us down after the neighbors complained."

“Don’t the Couffaines live on a boat?” Nino asked.  “Can’t they just… float away to new neighbors?”

“Because that worked out so well the last time,” Marinette said. “From what I heard, they’re trying to find rehearsal space at the university but Luka says it’s a long shot.”

She regretted the words almost as soon as they left her mouth.

“ _Luka_ says that, huh?” Alya grinned, nudging her shoulder.  “What else does _Luka_ say?”

Honestly, she could just _kill_ Alya.

She watched Adrien freeze from the corner of her eye, but coward that she was, she refused to look at him.

“Mr. Guitar Hero himself, huh?” Nino leaned across the table with a mischievous grin.  “And an older man too. _Marinette_.”

She could _feel_ the heat radiating from her cheeks as she stuttered for _some_ kind of response.  Really, what explanation _could_ she give for Luka?  He was just a friend.  In the same way _Adrien_ was just a friend.

Well.  Maybe not the _same_ way.

_So how long are we going to ignore that I’m insanely in love with you?_

It was quickly becoming difficult to breathe in this little booth.

Marinette decided dignified silence was the best response and reached for her coffee–

“Luka could encompass everything Marinette is looking for.”

– and promptly choked.

Alya’s smile was was downright _evil_ as she patted Marinette’s back in faux concern.

Death, slow and painful, was too good for her.  She opened her mouth, a respectful _fuck you_ on her lips, only to be cut off by Adrien’s languid drawl.

“I don’t know,” He said, leaning forward to rest one arm on the table.  She dared to meet his eyes only for him to smirk at her over his tea. “Something tells me she can do better.”

“ _Really_ _?”_ The redhead said, looking at him appraisingly.  “What makes you say that?”

Adrien laughed off Alya’s suspicious tone.  “Call it a gut feeling.”

The intonation was slight, but she heard it nonetheless.  It made her want to _scream_.

Unfortunately for him, she could gut this _feline_ no problem.

Because Marinette had more than luck on her side.

She had _Alya_.

Even as the thought formed she felt her best friend’s hand on her knee, squeezing lightly.

“Speaking of _feelings_.  How are things going with Kagami?”

Marinette fought her twitching lips, ultimately giving up on hiding her smirk as Adrien processed the question.

“What about Kaga -- _Oh._ ” His face transformed from cocky to confused to mortified in an instant.  His eyes flashed to hers and she batted her lashes right back.

Take _that_.

Ladybug: 1

Chat Noir: 0

Nino laughed at his stunned friend.

“That good huh? I always knew you were a lady killer.”

Marinette ignored the twinge she felt in her chest as she took another sip of coffee. Okay maybe that hurt her a little too.  But she’d be damned if she let _him_ know that.

Not when he started it.

“You should see this guy when he’s on it,” Nino continued, grinning even as Adrien seemed to sink further into the collar of his shirt.  “Back before you and I got together babe, when I liked Marinette, he had _all_ the lines.”

“Sunshine’s a smooth operator huh?” Alya said, smiling.  She squeezed Marinette’s knee again in a silent question.  Marinette nodded to let her know she was fine.

She wasn’t fine.

Not when Nino said,

“You should have heard him.  Whispering sweet nothings in my ear like Cyrano or some shit.  Urging me to say _I love you, Marinette_ like it was the easiest thing in the world.”

She nearly spit the last of her coffee.

“ _Okay_ ,” Adrien snapped, practically shoving Nino out of the booth, his face fire engine red.  “Enough.”

Nino and Alya laughed.

“Don’t sweat it.  Like I said, you’re butter.  No wonder Kagami likes you so much.”

Awkward.  This was so, _so_ awkward.

The only silver lining to the pit of nausea settling in her stomach was that Adrien looked like he could just _die_.  Served him right for trying to embarass her.

She only wished this conversation wasn’t just as mortifying for her.

“Coffee.” She squeaked.  “I’m going to– coffee. Yes.”

She could hear Adrien’s halting explanations that things weren’t like _that_ with Kagami as she escaped the table.

Tikki peeked up at her from her purse.

“Do I need to say I told you so?”

“No,” Marinette sighed.  “But I know you want to.”

“You probably should have talked to him sooner.”

“Yeah, well,” Marinette muttered under her breath, pausing to smile at the barista and placing her order.  Impulsively, she added one of the biscottis near the register. “He doesn’t have the greatest timing either.”

“No,” Tikki conceded, chirping gratefully when Marinette passed her the cookie.  “But he doesn’t have to be such a butthead about it.”

“Well it _is_ Chat Noir,” She said, before they both broke into quiet giggles.

Giggles that were quickly cut short by hot breath on her neck and Adrien’s wry voice murmuring, “Talking about me, my lady?”

Marinette yelped, whirling around to glare up at the blonde smirking down at her. 

“ _No_ ,” She lied.  “Not everything is about you.”

Adrien glanced down at Tikki who nodded loyally.

The barista called her name and Marinette broke his too-knowing gaze to grab her drink.  The drink she nearly spilled when she turned back right into Adrien’s chest.

“Stop doing that!” She hissed, sucking a few hot droplets off her hand.

Adrien didn’t acknowledge her scolding.

“Okay then,” He said instead, taking her by the elbow and turning her away from Nino and Alya’s prying eyes.  “You weren’t talking about me just like I wasn’t talking about you. Can we now?”

Marinette frowned.  “Can we what?”

“Can we talk about me?  And you. Me and you.” Despite his cool demeanor, his words ran together, giving him away.

That and his ears were turning red.

She was loathe to admit it was kind of adorable.

Stupid cat.

“ _Now?_ ” She asked, again. _Again_.  Her eyes strayed behind him to their waiting friends.

Adrien really did have terrible timing.

But when she looked back to tell him as much, her heart stuttered.

His eyes were wide, a little hopeful, his smile was small, a little pathetic. 

And his ears, his stupid ears, were still red–

a lot more than adorable.

 _God dammit_.

“Fine,” She sighed, more to make a point than any real reluctance on her part. “Let’s go talk about how you’re insanely in love with me.”

Just saying the words, even as a tease, made her stomach swarm with ladybugs.  But Adrien’s blindingly joyful _whoop!_ bowled over most of her reservations. The enthusiastic thumbs up Nino and Alya were sending from across the room removed the rest.

Absently, Marinette wondered just what exactly she’d missed when she left the table.

She didn’t have much of a chance to ask before Adrien practically swept her up in his arms.  Only her indignant swatting and quick-thinking feet kept her on the ground.

“My _coffee_ ,” She said, scandalized, as half the contents of her drink sloshed to the ground.

Behind her she heard one of the put-upon staff members call for a mop.  Adrien hardly looked repentant as he took the mug from her hands to set it down on the counter.

“I’ll buy you another one,” He said and this time he _did_ sweep her into his arms.  Marinette squawked, not at all dainty or ladylike.

Adrien grinned down at her anyways. 

" _After_ we talk.”


End file.
